Structural Organization of the Nvj3-Mdm1 Complex Reveals a Conserved Lipid-Compatible Contact Site Module

Abstract

Membrane contact sites are organized by protein assemblies that physically couple organelles and coordinate lipid metabolism, yet the structural principles that enable lipid exchange across these junctions remain poorly defined. At the nuclear-vacuolar junction (NVJ) in budding yeast, the tethering protein Mdm1 and its binding partner Nvj3 form a complex that regulates lipid metabolic pathways, but the structural features underlying their interaction have not been resolved. Here, we use AlphaFold-based complex prediction and comparative structural analysis to define the organization of Nvj3-Mdm1 complex assembly. We identify a high-confidence heterodimer in which conserved PXA and PXC domains generate an extended tunnel spanning both proteins. Tunnel analysis predicts a core hydrophobic conduit traversing the Nvj3-Mdm1 interface, consistent with a lipid-compatible architecture. Evolutionary conservation is enriched at the Nvj3-Mdm1 interface. The predicted conduit shares geometric and physicochemical properties with bridge-like lipid transfer proteins, including Atg2, Fmp27, and Hob2, suggesting that heteromeric tether assemblies may contribute directly to inter-organelle lipid transfer. Notably, this conduit is predicted to arise from a heteromeric -helical assembly rather than the {beta}-sheet-rich architecture characteristic of canonical bridge-like lipid transfer proteins. Comparative phylogenetic analyses showed that Nvj3 and Mdm1 share broadly congruent evolutionary patterns across Saccharomycetes, consistent with their conserved functional association. Together, these findings define Nvj3 as a structural partner of Mdm1 and support a conduit-based model of lipid transfer at the NVJ.